15 Things to Eat in Taiping, Malaysia

When it comes to Taiping Food, it may not have as much attention as its neighbouring cities such as Penang or Ipoh; but trust me, Taiping is a place that you don’t want to miss out for food ! In my recent visit to Taiping, I’ve had the chance to try out a number of things.
I didn’t have to go far as many of these food are along Jalan Pasar. You could hang out on this street for 3 days and you would still have something different to eat for every meal. Although there are “15 Things to Eat in Taiping” in this list, I am sure that there are a lot more things to eat than that, so please comment below the post to benefit those that are looking for awesome Taiping Food !

1. Lian Thong Restaurant (聯通茶室)
Lian Thong Restaurant is one of the oldest kopitiams in Taiping serving loads of yummy things. It is relatively more expensive than other restaurants in Taiping, but still reasonably priced for those that visit from outstation. If there is only one thing you can try here, I would say go for the “toufu-pop” (RM0.90 / piece), which is basically a ball of deep-fried minced meat wrapped with beancurd sheets. The outer beancurd sheets become so crunchy that it flakes off delicately, while the meaty parts remain moist and juicy. These tofu-pop sell out fast, so be there early if you can.

The kerabu rice (RM5) is another interesting item, which is a combo of fried rice, prawn crackers, onions, cucumbers and your selection of either chicken or fish. I took the chicken, which is deep-fried till crisp without being oily, and highly addictive.

Lian Thong also has a selection of noodles. The “Noodle Explosion” /”爆炸麵” (RM4.50) was recommended by the uncle that took my order – yee mee noodles that’s been puffed into a crispy explosion, topped with egg gravy, chicken, prawns and vegetables.

My friend’s Jawa Noodles (RM 4.50) is a burst of flavors, and full of “wok-hei”.

As for drinks, don’t miss out the housemade kamquat juice, evidently seen in jars and jars of kamquat nearby the counter.

Lian Thong Restaurant is your classic old-timer’s kopitiam housed in a pre-war shoplot. The walls are green with typical mosaic tiles on the wall. It’s worth checking out the kopitiam just to sit on the classic wooden straight-backed seats as you just don’t see them much anymore.

2. Restoran Kakak (家家茶室)
Restoran Kakak is known for its shredded chicken noodles (雞絲河粉). The bowl of noodles is actually very simple. There’s nothing fancy about it, but every element in this bowl is perfect – lovely “hor fun” noodles, scrumptious chicken broth and a generous portion of shredded chicken – which is more than enough to capture the hearts of Taiping folks because many are loyal patrons of this place. Other optional items include pork balls and dumplings.

The best drink to go with the noodles would no doubt be Restoran Kakak’s signature drinks – Jia Jia Ping (家家冰) and Jia Jia Re (家家熱)， which are intriguing concoctions of barely water and coffee. Jia Jia Ping is the cold version with ice, while Jia Jia Re is the hot version.

The use of barley water is ingenious because there are no more traces of bitterness from the coffee, but replaced by a hint of unfamiliar sweetness from the barley. You can even see barley bits in your coffee, which feels strange but ultimately fascinating.

3. Hua Soon Fireworks Char Koay Teow (太平新板華順煙花炒粿條）
The uncle at Hua Soon Char Koay Teow has been on the job for the past 40 over years. He uses a fan to reduce the heat , in the process creating a splash of fireworks. Many patrons come near to his work station and watch the sizzling wok in action, enthralled by this spectacle. How about the taste of the char koay teow you ask ? Irrefutably good with plenty of “wokhei” and a heavier-than-usual peppery flavor. Request for duck egg for an enhanced flavor.

4. Kok Beng Chicken Rice (國泯叉燒雞飯)
In a battle of chicken rices organized by Guang Ming Daily Newspaper in 2007, 100 ＋ Hainanese chicken rice stores throughout Malaysia compete for a space among the Top 10 Chicken Rices of Malaysia. Kok Beng Chicken Rice was among one of the winners. Even the huge chopping board has a peculiar shape from tens of years of repetitive chopping that it has become conical at the center of the board.

My plate of poached chicken, roasted chicken and char siew indeed is comfort food that is to-die-for. If you love to eat chicken rice, there are a few other excellent chicken rices in Taiping, such as the one in Tai Chien(大千茶室), or the one in Kedai Kopi Dan Tumpungan Swiss (瑞士茶室).

5. Coffee from Antong Coffee Mill (安東咖啡廠)Established in 1933, Antong Coffee Mill is the oldest coffee mill in Malaysia. The coffee mill is open to visitors to see the captivating process of roasting one of Malaysian’s favorite drinks – the Kopi-o, which is typically roasted with 50 % of sugar. The spellbinding coffee aroma permeates the room, making the hot and steamy roasting room surprisingly tolerable.

Antong coffee produces various type of coffee to cater to different coffee preferences for Malaysians from different parts of Malaysia. Try them all at the showroom to see which one suits you better !

There’s also a piece of interesting history related to the coffee mill. The mansion in the vicinity of the mill is the current office for Antong Coffee Mill; it was also the mansion where the first president of Taiwan, Sun Yat Sen had stayed in for a short period of time. The interior of the mansion is mostly unaltered since the olden times, while the most precious piece of antique in the mansion is the wooden screen allegedly used by Sun Yat Sen.

6. Yut Sun Restoran (日新茶餐室)
Yut Sun Restoran is another old timer’s kopitaim that has almost 100 years of history. It looks like your typical Chinese Kopitiam serving an array of Hainanese cuisine, western dishes, rice dishes and noodles dishes; but it has one big difference compared to most Chinese kopitiams -it is halal. It is a common sight to see the true essence of “1 Malaysia”, where everyone – the Chinese, the Indians and the Malays – dine together. Yat Sun also observes fasting hours during puasa months so the opening hours are only at night time from 6 pm onwards, whereas during normal days it is open from 8 am – 9pm.

The Hainanese Chicken Chop is absolutely flawless – a golden piece of deep-fried chicken smothered with delicious gravy. Another dish to try here would be the Roti Sayur; an unique dish of minced meat on toast, invented by the restaurant founder.

7. Cendol.
Nothing beats a bowl of ice-cold cendol in Malaysia’s scorching weather. There are two popular places for cendol- Ansari Famous Cendol and Bismillah Cendol. I tried the one at Bismillah Cendol and I adored it as it’s just adequately sweet with the enchanting flavors of gula melaka. I love the red beans too as they are cooked just right, and so creamy to an extent that they almost melt in your mouth. If you’ve tried both places, which one do you vouch for ?

8. Popiah at Kedai Makanan Tai Chien (大千茶餐室)This popiah at Kedai Makan Tai Chien is a favorite among many Taiping folks. The popiah skin is extremely thin, with delectable fillings of shredded omelette, lettuce, “sar kok” (turnip) and a dash of chili sauce. I like it a lot, but it would have been even better if the popiah was made more plump with more fillings. The char koay teow at Tai Chien is also scrumptious if you have a chance to try.

9. “Hor Ga Sai” (虎咬獅子)
“Hor Ga Sai” is the Hokkien pronunciation of a drink in Taiping, which is a concoction of coffee and milo, served in many kopitiams. This drink tastes different in different kopitiams because the drink-makers have their own secret proportions of coffee and milo they use. True enough, I’ve had this drink at a few different places, Ta Chien Kopitiam, Peace Hotel, Kuala Sepetang and Kualau Kurau, and indeed it’s different every time.

If you know Hokkien, you would know that the drink’s name is super grand, because “hor” means tiger, “Sai” means “lion”, and “hor ga sai” means tiger bites lion ! I am not sure which is which, whether the milo is “hor”, or the coffee is “hor, but either way, the intense flavors of the chocolaty coffee does pounce on you ! The next time you visit Taiping, order a cup of drink like a boss local by saying “jit bui hor ga sai ” (one cup of hor ga sai) !

10. PSL Goreng Pisang (PSL 炸香蕉)PSL Goreng Pisang is one crowd-pleasing store in Taiping. The star of the store is of course the calorific goreng pisang, which has a crunchy golden coat that encases a piece of sweet banana within. I’ve passed by the store quite a few times while I was in Taiping, and every time the store seems to have a perpetual stream of people buying the goreng pisang and all sorts of deep-fried treats – such as kuihs and curry puffs.

11. Fish Egg Char Koay Teow at Larut Matang Food Court （拉律馬登魚丸炒粿條）
The Larut Matang Food Court has a wealth of food selections, including both halal and non-halal items. Among the plenty of excellent food here to try, I tried Taiping’s very own version of char koay teow, the Fish Cake & Fish Balls Char Koay Teow. There are many stores selling this dish; a few recommended ones include store 78 and store 63. Both were closed during my visit so I picked store 49 which serves fantastic and chewy koay teow noodles, though the char siew could have been better.

12. Noodles at Golden Corner (金邊茶餐室)
Golden Corner’s name is quite literal because it is surrounded by gold shops left right and center. It’s popular for its shredded chicken noodles (雞絲麵), fishballs, braised chicken feet, and “lemak-sui” noodles. Since I’ve already tried the shredded chicken noodles at Restoran Kakak, I tried the “lemak-sui”noodles – a mix of curry and laksa soup. It is an amalgamation of best of both worlds where you get the sourish flavors from the laksa, while simultaneously getting the resplendent flavors from the curry.

13. Char Koay Teow & Duck Rice at Peace Hotel (和平茶餐室)Peace Hotel is one of the most beautiful kopitiams in Malaysia. Housed in an ornate pre-war shoplot, the kopitiam sports a stunning facade, with many pillars inside and outside of the kopitiam inlaid with precious Peranakan tiles. The kopitiam is open for lunch, serving popular char koay teow and duck rice. If you can’t make it for lunch there (like me!), enjoy a glass of “hor ga sai” in the morning, when the kopitiam hardly has any patrons, and immerse yourself in that vintage vibe !

14. Eat at the Gigantic Food Market at Night.
During night time, there is a gigantic spread of hawker stores, consisting of 3 corner-lots of kopitiam – M&M Kopitiam and 2 Prima Kopitiams (百齡茶室). There’s just so much food to choose from, it took me a while to decide what to eat before settling down on seafood pork noodles. Since Taiping is so close to the sea, I don’t see anything wrong with the addition of seafood and fishballs to pork noodles ! The more the merrier to increase the flavors of the soup. It is so affordable too at only RM 4.80.

15. Heong Peah (香餅)
Taiping has quite a few places for “Heong Peah”. The bigger ones include the Aulong Biscuit & Confectionary (後廊香餅) and Biscuit Tupai Emas (太平金地園香餅) . I didn’t get a chance to eat them while I was in Taiping, so tell me what they taste like if you’ve tried them 🙂

Hi Armstrong. I am sorry about that. I actually don’t know which Malay and Indian restaurants to go to in Taiping, so that’s why they are n ot on the list. If you have some suggestions, I am happy to try them the next time I am in Taiping 🙂

Greetings from Japan! Enjoyed your review of the food at Taiping… Planning to visit Taiping at year end for 3 nights with my missus… Your review helps a lot, and I am looking forward to trying out the delicious-looking food… 🙂